Ernest Pope Cox, Jr.

ERNEST P. “POPE” COX, JR., age 89 of Maryville, passed away on Monday, January 24, 2005, at Blount Memorial Hospital. He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Maryville. A native of Atlanta, GA and Navy veteran from World War II, he began his business career in the tire and service station business in Maryville, later moving to New Orleans, where he worked as a general insurance agent. Returning to Maryville, he founded Maryville Realty and Mortgage, where he was active in new home construction for a number of years, developing several area subdivisions, including Briarcliff. He was awarded the Life Spike Award by the National Association of Homebuilders. Pope had been a member of the Jaycees and the American Legion as well as serving as a member of the City of Maryville Planning Commission. He remained an avid, life-long Lawrence Welk fan, after first hearing Lawrence’s band in Chicago during World War II. He was preceded in death by his father, Ernest P. Cox, Sr.; mother, Erquette Glover Cox; father-in-law, John Newman Badgett; and mother-in-law, Hazel Blankenship Badgett. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Badgett “Baber” Cox of Maryville; his son, Ernie and wife Hilda Cline Cox of Spokane, WA; his grandson, Tim and wife Melanie Northcutt Cox of Hurricane, WV and his grandson, David Cox of Charlottesville, VA; his great grandsons, Christopher Cox and Benjamin Cox of Hurricane, WV; and his sister, Erquette Cox Holmes of Huntsville, AL. Other survivors include, brother-in-law, J. N. Badgett, Jr. and wife Blanche Clark Badgett of Maryville; sisters-in-law, Lillian Badgett Hatfield of Sanford, NC, Betty Jo Teffeteller Badgett of Maryville and Marguerite Gray Badgett of Maryville as well as a large number of nieces and nephews. Family and friends will meet at 3:15 p.m. Sunday at Grandview Cemetery for a graveside service with Pastors Brenda and Larry Carroll officiating. The family will receive friends from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Saturday at McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to First United Methodist Church of Maryville, 804 Montvale Station Road, Maryville, TN 37803. McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, Maryville 982-6812 www.mccammonammonsclick.com